


Pepperony Week 17

by IrisBagginsGrayson



Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Brief panic attacks, F/M, Fluff, Pepperony - Freeform, Pepperony Week, Short Stories, Some angst, Tony Stark Has A Heart, pepperonyweek17
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-01 09:22:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11483433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrisBagginsGrayson/pseuds/IrisBagginsGrayson
Summary: Because I have no control, I had to do this week, no matter how tired or busy I am.These seven one-shots are a dedication to Pepperony, and range from pure fluff to soft-core angst and hurt/comfort. Because this is me, and nothing I do will be without angst.





	1. Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sweet moment between Tony and Pepper, where touch is one of the most important things to Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for: brief panic attack

His body felt sore, his hands feeling hot and rough after working on the piece of mangled metal and wires lying on the desk in front of him. He’d probably been working for a couple of hours now, at least, that’s what it felt like, his back stiff and uncomfortable.

He should really begin to think about how he sat while working, because ow, moving away from his hunched-over position kinda hurt. Not in a painful way, but more in the uncomfortable «everything feels stiff and I can’t really move my back» way. 

Bearable, but still extremely annoying.

Tony let out a huff of air, running a hand through his hair. _Greasy… Pepper will probably have my head when she sees it… A shower would do me good. At least, it could help loosen up my tense muscles…_

It would probably be a good idea to take a shower, if only at the prospect of sitting underneath the warm water for a while. It usually helped against the stiffness in his body, and it made him feel _clean_ , and not only in the physical sense.

 _It’s not exactly about cleanness, it’s more… The feeling of not being so dirty, so… Guilty…. Even if it’s just for a while… Sometimes it’s so good feeling clean_ , Tony thought, looking at his hands. _I have so much dirt on my hands… So much blood…_

A shudder ran through his body, and the sound of « _Zombie_ » blasting overhead seemed to fade, replaced with distant sounds of something blasting, coming closer and closer. His hands began to feel sticky and his breathing became heavier and heavier. His body felt heavy, his mind blank and his chest aching. 

The car was rocking, someone was yelling ( _Stay with Mr. Stark!_ ), something was happening, something _bad_ and it was all his fault-

« _Tony!_ » a stern voice all but yelled, and Tony snapped back to reality, his eyes wide and breathing heavy. It took his eyes a while to focus, but when they finally did, he could’ve cried in relief.

 _Pepper_.

«You… You spaced out again, didn’t you?» Her tone was mild, gentle, only wanting to know if he was okay. She was always there, always there to take care of him, to keep him grounded and _sane_. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve someone like her, but here she was, holding his hands - when had _that_ happened? - and gently making sure he was alright.

Tony wet his dry lips, his eyes never leaving her (if she was here he had to be safe). «Yeah,» he answered, his voice somewhat hoarse ( _weak_ , something in him whispered). He could be honest with her, even if he sometimes wanted to shield her (and anyone he cared about, really) from the horrors of his life. 

Pepper’s smile was understanding, albeit a little sad (sad he had to deal with this, sad that he had to suffer. He could never wrap his mind around that, that someone would be sad _for_ him). She leaned her forehead gently against his and looked him straight in the eye. 

«Want to talk about it?» she asked him softly, squeezing his hands gently. While he could - and probably always should - be honest with her, sometimes, sometimes he wasn’t. Sometimes he couldn’t, because she didn’t have to bear his burdens, to carry his weight. 

But it was always so much better to have her by his side, to have her understand, to have her protect him from the horrors of his mind. 

«It was- It was of Afghanistan, of the convo…Of- Of being taken,» Tony answered after a while, his voice barely above a whisper, and he cursed his shaking hands. He shouldn’t be this weak, this- this- this _vulnerable_.

Stark men weren’t vulnerable. 

At least… They weren’t publicly. But with Pepper, with Rhodey, with Happy… With them, he could. With them, he could be himself. He didn’t have to pretend.

«Oh Tony…» Pepper whispered, gently nudging her nose against his, and Tony could feel his throat constricting with emotions. «You’re safe. You’re here, with us, with _me_.»

He couldn’t help the small smile that graced his lips, and he clutched her hands a little tighter. «Your touch grounds me, you know. _You_ ground me. You’re real, and you’re _here_ , with me… I… I need you, Pepper. I love you so much. You’re the most important thing to me, you know. The only thing I can’t live without.»

Honest. Sometimes, sometimes being honest was as easy as breathing. Sometimes, being honest was the most natural thing to him.

«Tony… You’re so important to me, too… Lord knows what I’d do without you… Probably go insane without the lack of work,» she told him with a slight giggle, before sobering up. Her eyes were full of love, a love for _him_. «Tony, I love you. I love you so much, and I don’t ever, _ever_ , want to be away from your side. You’re so important to me.»

His smile grew a little brighter and he nudged her nose gently with his. «You’re an angel, you know that?»

Her laughter _was_ like a thousand angels, and it made warmth fill his chest. «Oh Tony…» While her face might’ve taken on an amused look, her eyes were filled with warmth, love and joy, and it made him so endlessly happy to see her like this, to know _he_ invoked those emotions. 

«At least, your touch is angelic. You’re my guardian angel, saving me from shitty places and making me feel loved. God, I want to be with you all day long, to feel your touch every second of my moment here on Earth.»

Pepper’s smile was like a thousands suns combined, and Tony the pleasant feeling in his chest grow. «And you’re my world, Tony. You’re my everything,» she whispered, smiling warmly. She was so beautiful, so perfect in his eyes… Nothing compared to his Pepper.

He smiled at her, and gently touched her lips with his in a brief kiss. She made him feel better, feel safe. While the darkness was still looming over his mind, she - his sun - kept the darkness at bay, at least for a little while longer.

She smiled at him, her thumbs stroking the back of his hands. After a while, she spoke up, her eyes filled with light and a slight humor. «You, good sir, need a shower. Your hair looks like it was used to wash out the fryers at a fast-food joint,» Pepper told him, trying to hide her soft laughter, but obviously failing.

«Yeah, yeah,» Tony responded off-handedly. 

«I meant _now_ , you know,» Pepper told him, an amused look gracing her features. A familiar look, because this was _him_ , and he wasn’t exactly easy.

«Oh. But it’s so far away… And I’d rather stay with you. I can always shower later.» He grinned at her in that overly childish way of his. He loved to tease her, especially like this.

«Well, you stink, as a matter of fact. So what if I strike a deal with you? If you go shower now, I’ll join you. Sounds fair?» She looked so damn smug, and Tony was torn between feeling smug and cheated. 

« _Fine_ , I’ll go shower now. But I’m not letting go of your hands, Potts, so you better keep up.»

«I didn’t expect anything else from you, Tony,» Pepper told him gently, and Tony grinned at her. 

«Good,» he said, and gently stood up, before pulling her along with him.

He loved having her around. She was his grounding force, his angel. Her touch was magical, and he didn’t know how he could ever live without her. She was everything to him, and he loved her so deeply.

Her touch was everything to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because nothing I make is without angst.
> 
> Until next time; see ya!  
> (Visit me on my tumblr, that-one-strange-geek to ask me questions 'n' shit!)


	2. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her boss is sleeping, and Pepper can't help but feel happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is super short and I apologize for that but what can a gal do.
> 
> This is set after IM1, but before IM2.
> 
> No warnings for this.

Pepper couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her boss lying, peacefully, on the couch, fast asleep. It was something she rarely - if ever - saw. Tony either never slept, slept with people (but not after Afghanistan, she’d noticed) or she had to forcefully shove him into his room so he could get some damned sleep.

But seeing him falling asleep - and this peacefully, too - was heartwarming and a relief. She had noticed, of course, that he hadn’t slept properly after the whole Stane ordeal, and it had worried her. Sure, she’d tried to force him, but there was only so much she could do. She had no real hold on him, she was only his assistant, after all, but she cared, probably a lot more than she wanted to admit. 

Not that she would ever admit that out loud.

Walking over to him as silently as she could, she grabbed the blanket at the edge of the couch and laid it over his sleeping form. 

Pepper couldn’t remember the last time she saw him this peaceful, and she couldn’t help the slight warmth that filled her chest at the thought of him finally getting some well-deserved rest. He deserved to find some peace.

Smiling (and resisting the sudden urge to pat his head), she walked out of the room, turning off the light as she did.  

«Sleep well, Tony,» she whispered before walking away. «You deserve it.»

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until next time; see ya!
> 
> Until next time; see ya!  
> (Visit me on my tumblr, that-one-strange-geek to ask me questions 'n' shit!)


	3. Day 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talking about dinner, and also the kids are coming over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is also short but not as short as the last one so??? I guess that's a win???
> 
> Warnings: Very, very, very brief mentions/small spoilers for Spider-Man Homecoming. Like, only small mentions of characters and that this is set after Homecoming. I’ve avoided any real spoilers, but I am mentioning a few characters.

Shifting from where he sat on the couch, Tony grinned as Pepper entered the room. «So, how’s my beautiful lady doing?» Tony asked, grinning as she sat down beside him, crossing her legs. 

«Fine, actually. Just got off the phone with the board, and would really like something to eat,» she told him, gently kissing his temple. «Maybe that wonderful steak of yours?»

«Steak? Sure can do. With the special sauce, too?» he replied, taking her hand in his and gently squeezing it. She nodded and leaned into his side, smiling.

«Yes, please.» Pepper’s hand was warm in his, and he his insides were warm with happiness and love. She was his everything, and he was so happy that she was here, by his side. «Oh, and by the way, the kids are coming over tonight.»

«Michelle and Ned, too?» Tony asked, surprised. He hadn’t expected them to come over tonight. It wasn’t like he wasn’t happy about it, he was actually quite thrilled about the idea of Peter (and Michelle and Ned, too) coming over for dinner. It was always great to see him, especially in non-hero situations. 

«Yeah, it sounded like they were coming,» Pepper said, leaning her head to rest on his shoulder. «They’re coming around six, by the way.»

Looking at his clock, Tony couldn’t help but smile. _4.49_. «So, not that long, then. Well, we better get going, if we’re going to get everything ready ’til they arrive. If you could bring the _other_ kids up, that would be great.»

«You mean Dum-e, U and Butterfingers? Are you sure they won’t end up making a mess?» Pepper asked him, drawing herself away. Tony already missed the feeling of her against him.

«They probably will, but they’ll end up pouting if they’re not allowed to help. And I don’t want three sulking ‘bots hanging around. Besides, FRIDAY’ll help ‘em,» he said, rising from the couch.

«Fine. But you’re going to clean up after them if they make a mess. I won’t do that for you, not after last time.» She was smiling, and it sent a new wave of warmth through his chest. She was still holding his hand, her touch gentle and warm.

«Sure, okay. I’m sure they won’t make a mess. They’re good ‘bots, it’s not like they intentionally make a mess of things.» Tony smiled at her before he pulled her closer to him and gave her a gentle kiss. «Now, if you go and get them, I’ll go get started.»

Pepper giggled - oh what a wondrous sound - and pulled away. «Alright. And you better make that tasty brownie of yours, or I’ll be annoyed,» she said, her tone playful. 

«Will do! Everything for my angel,» Tony replied, giving her a mock bow. Her giggle made him grin, and he looked up at her as she fondly rolled her eyes at him, before walking over to the staircase. «Love you!»

«Love you too, Tony,» Pepper answered, looking back at him with such a love-filled smile that his heart skipped a beat. Her love was everything to him. She was everything to him. He loved her so, so much, and he was so incredibly happy that she was in his life.

He loved her, with all of his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Dum-E and U and Butteringers, and also Michelle because she's so fucking amazing. If you haven't watched Homecoming, I heavily recommend it.
> 
> Until next time; see ya!  
> (Visit me on my tumblr, that-one-strange-geek to ask me questions 'n' shit!)


	4. Day 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Take a bath, Tony Stark. You smell like a dump, and you need to wash yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose to take a quote from Iron Man Armored Adventures, because I love that show so much and also this is probably one of my favorite lines ever.
> 
> Two days too late? Pfft me? Never. Timeline? What are those? Don’t know ‘em. Don’t know ‘em at all.
> 
> And this is just shameless fluff.

« ** _Rhodey, make Pepper stop mocking me_** ,» Tony said, looking over at Rhodey with one of the most pleading looks he could make. Pepper couldn’t help but smile as she nudged Tony’s side. 

«Nah man, you’re on your own here,» Rhodey answered as he looked over at her, and Pepper grinned happily back at him. Good, he was on her side.

«See? He agrees with me. Now go take a bath, you smell like what the cat dragged in, _yesterday_.» She grinned smugly at him, and ruffled his very greasy hair. «Because if you don’t, I’ll have to let you sleep in the doghouse.»

«Pepper, I smell _fine_. And the doghouse? We don’t even _have_ a fucking doghouse. I don’t need a shower, I smell fine, and my hair is _fine_.» His face was filled with mock-offense, and Pepper couldn’t help but laugh at him. He was so silly sometimes, and it was probably one of her favorite things about him.

«You do smell, Tones. You seriously need a shower,» Rhodey said from where he sat off to the side, grinning widely. 

«Hey, fuck you, don’t side with her. Honeybear, I thought you were on my side. Not hers!» Tony exclaimed, mock-shock clear in his voice. 

«Nah, she’s way scarier than you. Plus, she speaks the truth,» Rhodey replied with a happy and pleased tone.

«If you go to the bathroom now, I might join you,» Pepper said as she ran her fingers through his hair, grinning at him. She had him now, she knew it. She could see it in his eyes, in the way they’d widened and his lips curled up in a smile.

«…Fine…» Tony sighed dramatically, leaning heavily on Pepper. «You convinced me.» 

Pepper grinned at him before gently shoving his face, pointing towards the bathroom. «Now go, or I won’t be joining you.» 

He laughed at her, before rising from the sofa and waltzing towards the bathroom. «Whatever the lady says.»

Pepper shook her head, grinning to herself. «That man…»

«Yeah, but you love it. We all do,» Rhodey said, grinning too. «Now, I’d recommend going, too, or else he’ll come out wearing nothing but a half-tied towel, demanding you to come. And while that’d be funny as hell, I think you promised him to come.»

«Yeah… I did…» Pepper smiled fondly, standing up from the couch. «We’ll come back soon, and then we can grab something to eat. And, you’re allowed to choose the movie we’re going to watch.» She kissed Rhodey’s cheek lightly, before walking towards the bathroom, where she could already hear the water running.

«Will do! And you know I’ll pick something good.» Rhodey smiled at her, and she happily returned it. 

Opening the bathroom door, she was met with the sight of Tony tapping in the water to the bathtub, and Pepper couldn’t help the laughter that escaped her throat. «A romantic bath? Really?» Pepper asked, gesturing to the lit candles and the clear rosy smell in the air. «We have a guest, Tony.»

«Yes, but I wanted to treat my lady.» Tony was in front of her in seconds, his arms wrapped around her waist. He was smiling lovingly, and Pepper felt her chest bubble with happiness. «It won’t take long, I swear. Can’t let Rhodey wait, can we?»

«No, we can’t,» Pepper responded, her voice a light and happy. She gave him a light kiss on the mouth, before giving him a fond look. «Half an hour, tops.»

«I promise, half an hour,» he said, smiling and gently pulling her further into the bathroom. «Maybe forty minutes.»

—

It was almost fifty minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fun fluff because sometimes I love fluff. And yes, Pepper was sassy before the start of this fic.
> 
> Until next time; see ya!  
> (Visit me on my tumblr, that-one-strange-geek to ask me questions 'n' shit!)


	5. Day 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper needs to see Tony, to see him alive and not cold and dead somewhere in Siberia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um… A couple days late? Woops? I got busy and I’ve been so tired and exhausted. And at least I’ve done it? Just two more days, just a little bit more and I’m DONE. I’ll try to finish them tomorrow, I swear.
> 
> Warnings for swearing and some light angst. Not necessary Team Cap friendly.

Pepper could feel anger course through her veins as she hurried down the hospital hallway. She could feel her chest burn with anger, and her hands were shaking. She was so angry, so upset. How could they- How could they do that? How could they-

She forced the snarl off of her face and focused on the task at hand: finding the room where Tony was. When she’d learned what had happened, she’d dropped everything in a rush to travel to the hospital. It had felt way too much like Afghanistan, sitting in the car with Happy driving. It was too similar, not knowing what had happened and in what state she’d find Tony in. 

It was scary, not knowing.

If she wasn’t a professional, she would be running through the halls in her search for his room. He had to be okay, he had to be-

Gritting her teeth, Pepper felt her anger flare at the thought of _who_ had done this to Tony. That spandex-wearing fucking asshole was the one that was responsible for all of this shit. Of course he was too stubborn to listen to reason, because he was «Captain America» and he could do whatever he fucking wanted too just because he was «Mister Patriotic». Pepper curled her hands into fists at the thought of how ignorant and blatantly _stupid_ the Captain really was. 

Rhodey had told her, of course, how things had gone over the past few days, especially the past twenty-two hours. With Tony missing, and the only thing they had was FRIDAY’s recordings before the helmet had been ripped off. Rhodes and herself had ended up talking about what had happened before, about everything that had led up to now.

It had infuriated her then, and it did so now. The Captain had probably not even _read_ the Accords, much less listened to someone who knew how politics worked. Of course the document wasn’t perfect, that would take time and work. But they would’ve gotten there, in the end.

But of course, Steve-fucking-Rogers didn’t think so. Narrow-minded and short-sighted, that was what he was, in Pepper’s mind. After all he did, after all the _shit_ he pulled, he deserved nothing more that to be put in jail, or at least put on trial. He didn’t deserve to walk free. His and his team’s actions had cost Rhodey his legs, and Rogers had _left his own fucking teammate alone_ , in a cold bunker far away from civilization. 

And Pepper swore, when she found Rogers… She’d show him a piece of her mind.

When she finally reached the door to the room Tony was in, she hesitated. Her anger ebbed away, replaced by fear. What would meet her when she entered his room? She couldn’t- She couldn’t handle losing him. She’d almost lost him so many times, she couldn’t bear to lose him for real this time. 

Biting her lip, Pepper closed her eyes briefly before she opened the door. Her eyes immediately  fell on the bed, or more, the person occupying the bed. 

A gasp escaped her lips as she stood there, frozen. «Oh, Tony…» she whispered, before hurriedly making her way to his side. The sight in front of her made her throat constrict and her heart hurt.

Tony looked so small, so fragile. He was hooked up to so many machines, various things that kept him alive and well. Bandages were covering almost every inch of his body, but what drew her attention was the bandages around his chest. Blood was already beginning to seep through them, slowly and carefully turning the white fabric red.

«Tony… I’m so sorry that I let this happen to you…» Pepper whispered as she sat down at the chair by the bed and grabbing one of his hands. «You should never have had to go through this… You should never have been hurt, especially not by Rogers…»

Pepper could feel her eyes sting, and for once she didn’t care if she cried. She’d almost lost him… He’d been so close to dying…

«Damn you for making me stay away.» Her throat was tight with emotions as a tear rolled down her cheek. «Damn you for trying to ‘protect me from yourself’. Damn you for making me mad at you, mad that you _insisted_ on that fucking ‘break’… I know, I know how hard it was for you after- after Ultron… But Tony… We both know pulling away never helps. It doesn’t help you, nor me. I- I can’t lose you, Tony… And I know, we both thought being on a break would- would protect us from hurting, from being scared about the other, but in reality- I was even more worried. I worried about you, I was so scared that- that- one of them would hurt you.»

A hiccup left her mouth as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Her anger had been completely replaced by sorrow and guilt. «And look what they did. I’ve heard your diagnosis… Tony… I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry I ever left you… I’m so sorry that I- that I wasn’t there. I’m so sorry… Please, Tony. Wake up for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re- You’re so important to me. Please… Wake up…»

«I love you Tony. I love you so much…» Pepper whispered, before giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek, squeezing his hand gently.

Almost unnoticeably, Pepper felt his fingers very gently squeeze hers. A small smile stretched over her lips. 

She knew, in her heart, that he’d survive, that he’d be okay.

«Tony… I’m here, and I’ll never leave you. Never again.»

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also a fair warning to all y'all: I might not be able to finish this, or at least it's going to take me a while. I have my other fic which NEEDS an update soon, and also life in general is busy. So thank you for your patience!
> 
> Until next time; see ya!  
> (Visit me on my tumblr, that-one-strange-geek to ask me questions 'n' shit!)


End file.
